General manager Doug Wilson said Tuesday that Couture has been playing with the injury for several weeks and decided to have surgery when it did not respond as hoped.

Wilson said the team will have a better idea after the operation of how much time Couture will miss. There just more than four weeks until the Olympic break. Couture did not make the Canadian team, possibly because of the injury.

Couture has 14 goals and is fourth on the Sharks with 35 points. After going 11 straight games without a goal, Couture recently scored in four straight. That streak was snapped Sunday in Chicago but he still had an assist and the shootout game-winner.